Edited & Posted by: Paul Chong Tuesday, 25 November 2014 Source: CRI Online

President Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping (born 15 June 1953) is the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, the President of the People’s Republic of China, and the Chairman of the Central Military Commission. As Xi holds the top offices of the party, state & military, he is sometimes informally referred to as China’s “paramount leader“. As General Secretary, Xi is also an ex officio member of the Politburo Standing Committee, China’s de facto top decision-making body.

Son of communist veteran Xi Zhongxun, Xi Jinping rose through the political ranks in China’s coastal provinces – Fujian & Zhejiang . . . gone through the mills so to say. Was invariably chosen & groomed to become Hu Jintao‘s successor. He served as Vice-President of the People’s Republic of China between 2008 and 2013.

Taller than most of his predecessors, he’s a man of substance & vision. He knows where he’s leading China to & since his accession he’s been exerting his influence on a wider global scale with his brand of leadership – fearless but not dangerous.

His rhetoric is written in deeds . . . not just mere verbal convention. Here’s someone acting his role as a real leader with none to compare.

His book is to be read & we’ll be hearing more from & about him.

His newly-published book “Xi Jinping: The Governance of China” appears to be captivating readers since its introduction in the UK.

A collection of 79 speeches and some 45 photos of the Chinese president, the book is meant to provide readers with firsthand insight to the Chinese leadership.

Frank O’Reily, a retired academic, bought the book when it first came out in the UK last month. “President Xi was quoting from Confucius,” he said “reading without thinking makes one muddled, thinking without reading makes one flighty”. So it’s his opinion that in the west, we have so many comments about China but they never actually refer to the actual words or speeches of the Chinese leaders, they never refer to what they actually say or write.

O’Reily says as a retired academic, Xi Jinping’s book is a helpful tool for those hoping to learn more about China.

“Presumably these speeches were made in Chinese, most of them anyway if not all, but the translation is very clear and very natural. And then there’s an index at the back which makes it an excellent reference book as well as a straight read. And also there are excellent notes to the chapters, to speeches on history, literature, etc, all clearly explained.”

“The Governance of China” was first introduced at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair.

It’s since been published in ten languages, including English, French, Russian and Japanese.

Ru Jing with the UK branch of China’s Foreign Languages Press, the book’s publisher, says they’re seeing an increasing demand for book on China written in English.

“The book has attracted a lot of media attention since it was launched. On top of that, we’ve seen quite positive feedback from the market. For instance, you can find the book on almost all major amazon sites, and with decent sales figures.”

Guanghwa Bookshop is one of the main UK distributors for “The Governance of China”. Located in London’s China Town district, the bookshop is a hub for all things Chinese.

Cai Shaojuan, owner of the bookshop says she has received many enquiries about Xi Jinping’s book from both old and new customers. “Most of them are academics who are interested in Chinese politics, but there are also young readers who come to enquire.”

Guanghwa Bookshop is one of the main hubs promoting Chinese culture in London’s China town. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/DuanXuelian]

Foreign students studying Chinese calligraphy at the Guanghwa Bookshop in London’s China Town .[Photo: Courtesy of Guanghwa Bookshop]

In the present world of storm

Just about anything can go wrong

China has challenges ahead

With Xi Jinping fostering the break.